Fico: We're Holding Only Technical Consultations with EC on Recovery Plan (2)

Bratislava, April 15 (TASR) - The Government currently holds only technical consultations with the European Commission on the Recovery Plan and the Penal Code amendments, Prime Minister Robert Fico stated at a press conference on Monday. According to Vice-premier for Recovery Plan and EU Funds Peter Kmec (Voice-SD), the European Commission hasn't stated that the scrapping of the Special Prosecutor's Office (USP) could thwart any stages of the Recovery Plan. "The communication with the European Commission on the rule of law has reached an absolutely technical level. We're now answering technical problems and addressing the Penal Code, the effects of which have been suspended [by the Constitutional Court-ed.note]," stated the Prime Minister. Fico asked the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) to stop endangering Slovakia's drawing of EU funds with its statements in the European Parliament. Kmec confirmed that the questions are only of technical nature. According to him, the European Commission is no longer warning Slovakia that the scrapping of USP could thwart any stage of the Recovery Plan. "We're talking only about statistical information, how the criminal files or prosecutors of USP have been assigned," he said. In Kmec's view, the Prosecutor-General's Office has proven that it commands both expertise and capacity to handle the fight against organised crime and the protection of EU's financial interests without any problems. "The number of prosecutors who will be dealing with this type of crimes has even gone up. A total of 64 prosecutors will be handling this at regional offices, with even a standalone department on serious crimes being formed," he added. Kmec claimed that unrealistic goals have been set for the Recovery Plan by the previous governments, which the incumbent Cabinet must address in a fast-track procedure, but the interests of the EU have not been endangered. "The money must be spent by 2026 and radical changes to the Recovery Plan would mean that we could draw absolutely nothing," he explained. mf